Sam
by Helen Pattskyn
Summary: AU If you read my story Reunion, you may recall an alien calling himself Sam. When I wrote that I knew there was more to the story but that wasn't the place for it. Here it is, along with more of everything that happens after both Reunion & 12 Months.
1. Chapter 1

* * *

**Notes**

**Timeline****:** This begins during **Reunion*** but then overlaps and goes beyond **12 Months.**

*If you haven't read **Reunion**, the only thing that really matters is that there's a new member to the team, her name is Sara and she's from Las Vegas. Her boyfriend has travelled to Cardiff to take a teaching position at the University and she's not sure how she feels about that…and that they apprehended a human looking alien calling himself Sam.

**Rating****:** I'm going to err on the side of caution with an **M** although I don't honestly know for certain if it will ultimately deserve that M or if a T+ would have done it. But better safe than sorry… besides, with an M, I won't have to think twice before writing any steamy scenes between Jack and Ianto ;-)

**Genre****: **Sci-Fi / Drama… with a fair amount of romance, friendship, and probably a little angst thrown in for good measure.

**Plot****: **If you read **Reunion**, you may remember an alien calling himself "Sam." I knew when I wrote that, that there was more of a story there than I could get into at the time (too much else going on.) So here's the "more."

As per request, I intend to put a good deal of Bobby (and Wendy) into this one. Expect to see some continuation of Sara and Gil's storyline as well as a follow up on the Jones family.

**Disclaimers****:** (This is getting as bad as my other Crossover universe!) Abby Schuito and Tim McGee belong to Belisarius Productions, Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom belong to Jerry Bruckheimer, Robert "Bobby" Chase belongs to David Shore, Torchwood and Doctor Who belong to R. T. Davies / BBC… I don't think I missed anybody… but at any rate, I'm not making any money from this, not even trying to, it's just a hobby.

I have an actor in mind for "Sam", but he's well older than a teenager (born 1978). His name is DJ Qualls, and he's been in a number of smaller roles; the first time I saw him was in The Core. (Dreadful science, but great special effects!) So if you can picture him a lot younger, that's the mental image I'm working with.

As always reviews and comments are greatly appreciated. ;-)

* * *

**Sam**

* * *

**Chapter One**

"_There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and a security to all… suspicion."_

Demosthenes

* * *

Jack strapped the young man… alien… into a chair in one of the Hub's many alcoves. It was the same area he'd used to interrogate the alien sleeper agent they'd apprehended a few years back. The same chair, too, he reckoned. He hoped this situation didn't end as badly as that one had… or that they weren't related. He realized he was getting more and more suspicious as he got older. It probably wasn't his most endearing trait.

Gwen stood in the observation area above them, watching, chewing on the end of her thumb nail, glaring down at what he was doing. Jack returned her gaze calmly, his expression carefully tempered. Hardened. He couldn't afford anything less.

The Welsh woman turned away and went back to her station to monitor the proceedings on the computer. She had already made her feelings painfully clear.

_He's just a child, Jack! _

_We don't know that for sure. We don't know what he is. What __**it **__is._ They didn't even know that the alien was male, if this was it's natural form… a disguise of some sort… or if it had taken over the body of some street kid. He presumed Gwen was going to go through the missing persons database… criminal database… he hoped Bobby would get in soon so he could get a medical opinion on the prisoner.

He glanced over at Ianto, as he got the last strapped synched tight, wondering what his partner was thinking. The younger man's face was unreadable, but when he met his gaze, the Welshman's expression softened. He knew Jack found this part of the job distasteful. He didn't hold what he was doing against him; he knew they couldn't afford to take chances.

Ianto crossed the distance between them and laid a gentle hand on his Captain's back. "He doesn't look dangerous, does he?"

"No." Jack stepped back away from the unconscious boy. He didn't look as if he'd had a bath or a decent meal in days, maybe even weeks. He also knew better than to let appearances deceive him into sympathy. Just the same, he didn't feel particularly good about strapping the kid in like he had. Wrist and ankles, a strap across his chest, so that when he woke he wouldn't able to move much more than his head.

Jack remembered the terrified look on the kid's face when they'd caught him. He hadn't tried to fight back, just get away.

But that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.

Mickey joined them; he was still wearing his soggy boots.

Ianto gave him a look. The Englishman had left a trail of wet footprints in his wake.

"Sara's still having a clean," he said.

Ianto arched his brow further.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I should have had a spare pair of shoes in my locker… but it wasn't as if I was planning on having a swim in my clothes, now was it?" he returned the Welshman's pointed glare with one of his own.

Ianto smirked.

"Never under estimate the quiet ones," advised Jack with a wink. "I know I never do," he leant a little closer to the younger man, shoving his hands into his pockets. They still maintained a standard of professionalism at work, but sometimes he needed to be nearer the young man, just to rub his shoulder against his. To feel his warmth. To know that he loved him no matter what. _To know he doesn't look at me like I'm some kind of monster even now…_

Ianto flashed a smile as mischievous as Jack's wink. "As well you shouldn't," he commented in a dry, nearly deadpan voice.

The Captain chuckled softly; it died in his throat when they heard the prisoner let out a low moan. "Get Sara," he said to Mickey, pulling away from his partner. He took a step closer to the boy… alien… and waited for him to wake up. It didn't take long.

Wild panic flashed across the prisoner's features as he opened his eyes and took in the strange sights and smells of the Hub… realized he was restrained… when he saw the two men standing there… the ones who had caught him. He pulled against the restraints as hard as he could.

Jack laid one hand on his sidearm, but the thick leather straps held fast. The boy's fear escalated and he struggled harder, but to no avail.

"Take it easy," Jack heard himself saying. The kid looked near tears.

"Please… please don't hurt me… I didn't do anything, I didn't hurt anybody," he looked from one hardened face to the other, seeming to find no compassion in either. He seemed to figure out that it was Jack who was in charge and directed his next words at the Captain. _"Please_… I don't have anything… but whatever you want… I… I'll do whatever you want…" desperation was quickly replacing fear. "I'm good at doing stuff. All kinds of stuff. Anything you want… just please don't hurt me," he begged.

"Nobody wants to hurt you," said Jack. "Just… take a minute and calm down," he suggested wondering what the Hell was taking Sara so long. She might not consider herself much of a 'people person', but she would probably have a better chance of establishing a rapport with a scared kid than he would.

He shifted his glance to Ianto; the younger man nodded, understanding the unspoken query. He'd be fine alone with the alien for a few minutes. Like Jack, he was armed. If the kid wasn't what he seemed, he'd shoot first and ask questions later.

Jack walked out to the main area of the Hub just as Sara was taking the lift up to the Plass. A questioning look to Mickey garnered little in the way of useful information.

"Go help Ianto keep an eye on the prisoner," he said, before heading up to the Tourist Office and out to the Plass himself…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_There is nothing more necessary than truth, and in comparison with it everything else has only secondary value._

Friedrich Nietzsche

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Jack walked back across the Plass and entered the Tourist Office, after having sent Sara home to deal with her personal life.

He wasn't quite sure how he felt about this old boyfriend of hers who had packed up his life and moved to Cardiff just to be near her. On the one hand it was one of the most romantic things Jack could imagine someone doing to prove themselves to the person they loved. On the other it was a little strange given that Sara and Gil had barely spoken in the three months since seeing each other in London.

Gwen looked up expectantly as the cog door rolled aside and Jack came back into the Hub. "Is everything all right?" She'd been watching on the CCTV.

Wordlessly, he nodded and leant in over her shoulder. On the monitor he could see that Mickey and Ianto were still standing silent vigil over their prisoner. Although he occasionally glanced up at his guards, the kid seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with either. He looked terrified, resigned to whatever he imagined they were going to do to him. Jack didn't reckon that anything the kid imagined was good.

"Any changes while I was gone?" he asked Gwen, straightening.

"If you mean has he sprouted weapons out of any parts of his body, the answer is no, Jack, no changes," her tone was cold. "He's just a scared kid."

He settled his hands on his hips. "We don't know that yet."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Get some answers."

She gave him an apprehensive look.

"Relax, Gwen. I left the rubber hoses in my other suit."

The joke didn't go over well.

Jack heaved a sigh and retrieved a piece of alien equipment from the safe.

"What is that?"

"Lie detector. The best in the Galaxy. When Bobby gets here, tell him to get his gear and join us. I want a full medical work up on this so-called kid."

She turned around after giving him another unhappy look. She knew Jack was right, they couldn't afford to take chances, but that didn't make her feel any better about they way they were treating the frightened teenager like a hostile alien. No wonder they'd made the news. Again.

The kid looked up apprehensively when Jack came back into the room.

"Sorry about that," the Captain tried for a smile but nobody seemed to be appreciating his attempts at lightheartedness today.

"Everything ok?" Mickey asked.

Jack nodded. He set up the alien lie detector on a table opposite their prisoner.

The boy licked his lips nervously and gave Jack a scared look before looking down at his hands again.

While Jack had been gone an uncomfortable silence had fallen over the room; Ianto was the only one who hadn't seemed bothered by it. He had simply stood quietly by the door, his hands clasped in front of him, waiting. He neither stared at the prisoner nor took his attention fully away from him, either. When Jack returned, he stood a little straighter and stepped further into the room, closer to his partner.

Mickey was less able to contain his nerves while the Captain was gone. Five years with Torchwood in a parallel universe had taught him that looks can be deceiving and that even someone as scared as the kid strapped in the chair in front of them could be dangerous. Deadly even. The fact that he felt sorry for the kid didn't change that… in fact it made him more apprehensive. The kid could be like Jack with his pheromones. He could have something – either natural like pheromones or technological – that made people feel sorry for him. He certainly had the right look for garnering sympathy…

"What is that thing?" Mickey asked of the equipment Jack was setting up.

"It's a lie detector," he said. He perched himself on the edge of the table and crossed his arms over his chest. The boy glanced up at him, swallowing back a lump in his throat. Jack suspected by the look on his face, he already knew what the equipment was. He continued to explain how it worked, anyway. "A green light indicates the subject is telling the truth. Red indicates he's lying." He gave the kid a significant look.

"I haven't hurt anybody, I swear I haven't," the boy repeated his earlier plea.

The Captain hadn't actually needed the lie detector to tell him that that was the truth. His gut had been saying it all along, he just knew better than to rely solely on instincts. He nodded. "What planet are you from?"

The boy's eyes widened.

"I kinda figured you weren't from around these parts when we picked up that energy spike earlier," Jack explained.

"It was just… I was just trying to… to find somebody… anybody," he looked up at his interrogator with a pleading expression. According to the lie detector he was telling the truth.

"Someone from where?" the Captain persisted.

The kid swallowed hard before answering simply, "home."

"And home is where, exactly?" Jack wanted to know.

The boy broke eye contact. "No place you've ever heard of," he answered softly.

Because it was a subjective statement, the lie detector was unable to give a definitive reading.

"Look," Jack slid off the table's edge and took half a step towards the young man; he tensed up as Jack got closer, making him wish he hadn't sent Sara home. She was better at this kind of thing than she gave herself credit for. He made an effort to keep his voice steady. Calm. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but nobody here wants to hurt you. I just need to know you're not a threat to this planet and the people on it. Give me something to work with. We won't keep you here we don't have to."

The boy looked up at him with sudden hopefulness… skepticism. Fear. Jack could see it in his expression; he wanted to believe what he was being told, but he'd had it rough, possibly before he got to Earth. He knew not to trust anybody, not to take people at their word.

Jack shoved his hands into his pockets. "How did you get here?" he asked.

The kid licked his lips again, looking nervously at the lie detector for a long moment before returning his gaze to the man asking him questions. "I crashed here," his tone was hesitant. "Five years ago." The light on the lie detector flickered red. "Five years by your calendar," he said quickly. "Please, I'm not lying…!"

The light turned vivid green.

Jack nodded. "Go on."

"There… there was a meteor storm… my ship was damaged… I… it was more of an escape pod than a ship… I don't think I could have fixed it even if knew how."

"Where did it crash?"

"Over the water. The channel… English Channel."

Jack gave him a skeptical look, although the lie detector bore out the kid's story. "How did you get to shore?"

"I'm a good swimmer."

"Did anybody see you?"

The boy shook his head. "I don't think so. You're the only person whose ever known…" he looked away.

"You said it was an escape pod?"

He nodded.

Jack perched back on the table's edge. "What were you escaping from?"

He swallowed hard. "There… there was a… a war…" he gave a frightened glance at the lie detector, but the light remained a steady green. He took a breath and continued, "There was a war on my home world… an… an invasion," he stammered. "I… I ran… a lot of us did. I know it was the coward's way out, but I was just a kid. I was scared. We all were. We didn't know what else to do. None of us knew how to fight."

The light remained green.

"Where there others with you when you crashed?"

The boy shook his head. "They died. In the crash. Some before the crash. There were five of us in the pod," he added. "I'm the only one who made it." He looked down at the floor again; his sorrow seemed genuine.

Jack gave him a moment before asking why he was in Cardiff.

"I… things weren't going so good the last place I was living. I… I got on a bus. I only had enough money to come as far as this city," he looked up at Jack, meeting his gaze fully for the first time. "I haven't been here long. I... I'll leave if you tell me to. I'll do whatever you want."

Jack shook his head, leaning back. If the kid's story really was true – and according to the lie detector it was – he'd rather have him here where he could keep an eye on him than have wandering around Great Britain getting into trouble. "What's your name?" he asked in a gentler tone than he'd been using.

"Sam."

The lie detector's light flared red. The kid looked like he expected to get hit. Or worse.

Mickey looked at Jack; the older man shrugged. What could he really say to someone using an alias? Just the same, he favoured the kid with a dark glare.

"I…" he stammered, his panic rising. "My language isn't… it isn't like yours! I swear…I liked the name Sam so I started using it, that's all. Please believe me…"

Jack nodded, to the immense relief of his prisoner. He gave the kid another moment to collect himself before proceeding. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness," he figured he might as well trade alias with the kid. "This is Torchwood. Our job is to monitor alien activity."

Sam gave him a startled look. Clearly he hadn't thought anyone on earth was doing anything like that.

"The device that caused the energy spike," Jack went on. "Where is it?"

"It's just a communicator, I swear, that's all! I'm not here to hurt anybody. I ran because I was scared, I just wanted to see if there was anybody out there… anybody who could take me home."

"Where is it?" Jack repeated the question.

"My jacket. But please… that might be my only way of ever getting home…"

Despite his pleas, Jack reached into the kid's pocket and pulled out the device; it certainly didn't look like anything more ominous than a high tech radio. He tossed it to Mickey. "See what you can make of that. Call Abby and Tim in if you need help – I want answers yesterday."

"You got it, Boss." He seemed just as happy to be leaving the room.

Jack turned back to the teenager. "Is this your natural form?" Jack asked. Sam had gone back to staring miserably at the floor.

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"If I think real hard I can blend in… look more human… not be noticed." But he had been noticed. Caught. "What are you going to do with me?"

Jack could almost feel Gwen's eyes boring holes into him through the internal security feed. "As soon as he gets here, our medic is going to look you over. Even if you don't mean any harm, we don't know if you're carrying around any alien pathogens that could be dangerous… maybe even deadly… to the people here."

The boy blinked up at him as if that was something he'd never even thought of. "I…" he shook his head. "Nobody ever got sick, honest, they didn't. I never… I wouldn't ever hurt anybody, not on purpose!"

"I believe you," Jack told him in a sincere tone that did little to make the kid look as if he felt any better.

Just then, Bobby made his entrance. "Sorry. Traffic was Hell." He apologized and then glanced from Jack to the boy and then back again.

"Sam, this is Dr. Chase… Bobby, meet Sam," Jack made the introductions, ignoring the general awkwardness that accompanied a situation when the patient was in restraints. "He says he's not human."

"I assume you believe him?"

The Captain nodded. "I want a full physical work up."

Bobby set his field kit down and pulled up a chair before trying to suss out exactly how he was going to conduct even a basic physical under the current circumstances. He looked up at Jack. "This would really be a lot easier without those," he nodded at the restraints.

Jack gave their prisoner a long, penetrating stare. "If I let you out…?" he left the question open ended.

He received the same hopeful/fearful look he had a few minutes ago. "I'll do what you tell me to. I promise. I've never hurt anybody."

The light on the lie detector flashed green. Jack sighed. Hurt was an incredibly subjective word… "All right." He gave in anyway, nodding to Ianto to lend him a hand with the restraints…

"What do you think?" he asked the younger man quietly a few minutes later from the observation deck above. Bobby was still with the kid, drawing blood and checking his vitals. Sam – or whatever his name really was – didn't seem any less frightened, but he did appear to be compliant. Almost a little too compliant. Jack wasn't sure what to make of it. He looked to his partner, who seemed to be giving the matter a good deal of consideration before answering.

"Honestly… I don't know," Ianto said at last, shifting a little closer to his Captain. "My gut tells me he's nothing more than he says he is, a frightened kid. Some sort of refugee who crash landed here. We see so much misery… so much pain… death. I guess I'm afraid I'm seeing what I want to see."

"Me too," Jack admitted.

"What are you going to do with him?"

"First I want to see what Mickey has to say about that device, find out if it's really just a high tech radio. Then…?" he shrugged. "I don't know." He really had no idea what he could do.

Ianto laid a hand on older man's arm. "Jack, if... I mean… you… we can postpone…" he couldn't quite meet his gaze.

Some while long ago, Jack asked him the most extraordinary thing. He'd asked Ianto if he wanted to have a baby… together. It had taken some time to sort out all the details, but finally, everything was all set. the Doctor could take them to a time and place where they could really have a child. _Together._ A child that would be genetically one hundred percent all theirs… a child Jack was willing to carry.

Ianto didn't want to put that off, but work came first. Work always came first.

"Let's wait to see what Mickey finds before we start talking about postponing anything, Sweetheart."

"All right."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  
It might be the only sunshine he sees all day._

~Quoted in _P.S. I Love You_,  
compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

* * *

Bobby regarded the boy sitting in the chair opposite him. Even with the straps unbuckled, he still looked like he was a prisoner. It was in his demeanor, the way he sat, shoulders hunched forward, his hands clutching his arms in front of him, as if he was trying to insulate himself. It was in the way his gaze darted quickly around the room, never lingering on any one thing for too long as if he was trying to take it all in but afraid to be caught doing so.

Bobby gave him a few moments before clearing his throat to draw the boy's attention. Once he had it, he gave over what he hoped was a reassuring smile; he'd seen the brief clip on the news and gotten the quick and dirty version of what had 'really' happened from Gwen. However, he knew the former PC well enough to know that while she really did _try_ to just relate the facts, she typically coloured things according to her feelings about a particular situation.

Her feelings about this one had come through loud and clear. Jack was being a big bully intimidating some alien teenager who didn't look like he was capable of hurting a fly.

Bobby had to agree that the kid seemed harmless… but looks could be deceiving. "Sam, is it?" he asked in a mild tone.

The boy flicked a nervous glance at the device set up behind the medic before letting his gaze settle on the man's face. He licked his lips and nodded. The light flared red. "I… it's just a name. A name I like."

"Why don't I turn this off?" The medic suggested. His tone was kind. Without waiting for an answer, he reached around and found the switch to power down the lie detector. "Can I get you to remove your jacket?" he asked.

Sam nodded, doing as he was told, just like he said he would. "Your accent is different from the others," he observed in a quiet tone.

Dr. Chase smiled, "I'm from Australia. Do you know where that is?"

He nodded. "I've seen it on a map." He stole a quick glance up to the observation deck where Captain Jack Harkness and the other man were still standing. Watching. Talking. Discussing what they were going to do with him.

Bobby looked at boy's the dirty stained, bruised arms. Some of the bruising was fresh, probably sustained during his capture; he'd seen Jack get rough when he had to, but he had a hard time imagining the Captain beating up on a kid, despite Gwen's painfully obvious assessment of the situation. Besides, most of the bruises – the worst of them – looked to be older. "You get into a lot of fights?" he asked.

The kid blinked. "Me? No… I…" his gaze fell to the floor. "I just… get into trouble sometimes. I don't mean to. It just… happens, I guess."

Bobby suspected he would find more bruises before he was done with the kid's physical. In his old job, he would have been calling child protective services… he sighed. This wasn't his old job; he hid a smile thinking about what any of his former colleagues would say if they had any idea what he was really doing in Cardiff. "How old are you?" he asked his patient.

Even though the lie detector was off, Sam couldn't help looking at it before he answered. "I…I would be sixteen if… if I'd been born on your planet," he voice trembled.

"How long have you been here?"

"Five years."

Bobby nodded as he opened up his kit. Remembering the Raxacoricofallapatorians (for whom exposure to vinegar could be deadly), he asked Sam if there was anything he needed to know about his physiognomy before he started.

The boy swallowed and gave him a blank look. "I… I don't… what do you mean?"

"How similar is your physiognomy to ours?"

"We're pretty similar, I think. Why?" he sounded more scared than ever.

Chase gave over another kind smile. "I don't want to hurt you."

Sam blinked, seemingly surprised by the statement.

"I'm a doctor," he explained. "My first duty is to do no harm."

"Even… even to aliens?"

"Even to aliens."

He looked at the man a long moment… there was no way to tell if he was lying, yet no reason to believe that he wasn't telling the truth. Even the other men, for all their seemingly harsh attitudes, hadn't actually been unkind… he swallowed back the lump of fear in his throat. "As… as far as I can tell, we're pretty similar."

"I understand you cleared a pretty tall fence," Dr. Chase flashed another smile as he opened an iodine swab.

"Yeah… I… I guess we're not exactly the same."

His soft chuckle surprised the boy. "We could have used someone like you on my high school track team. Can I see your arm?"

Sam did as he was told. Like he'd promised. He looked curiously at the swab, however. "What is that?"

"I'm going to draw some blood in a minute. I just want to clean your arm up a little first. I know," he said to the incredulous look the boy was giving the yellow smear left by the iodine. "It might not look clean, but this is just to kill any germs. Maybe later we can see about getting you clean for real."

Sam blinked up at him, clearly surprised. Then he saw the needle… he looked back up to the observation deck. Captain Jack Harkness and the other man were still there. Still watching. Evaluating his actions. Deciding what to do with him. He swallowed.

Dr. Chase tied a rubber band tight around his forearm. Sam gave him a nervous look.

"This will probably sting a bit," warned the medic, his tone still gentle. "I'll make it as quick as possible, ok?"

Sam nodded. "Ok."

When the needle went into his arm stung. It stung _a __**lot**_**.** He gritted his teeth and tried to just breathe through it. He'd said it wouldn't last long…

"You ok?"

"Yes, Sir," he replied without thinking about whether or not he was really ok.

Dark, nearly purple, blood filled the first vile. "I have to get a couple of these," Bobby told him as he switched out the full tube for an empty one, one handed. "Just keep breathing. You're doing great. I promise, this won't take long."

Sam nodded; he looked away. It was easier not to watch… but true to the other man's word, it was over quickly. He bent Sam's arm back, a piece of gauze tucked over the small pin prick where he'd stuck the needle.

"The bleeding should stop in just a second. When was the last time you ate?" he asked; the boy had become deathly pale.

"I… I ate yesterday…"

"When was the last time you had a full meal?" he clarified his question.

"I…" the kid hesitated and shrugged.

"Right." Bobby glanced up to where Jack and Ianto were observing the proceedings. He caught the Captain's eye and made a few simple hand gestures.

It had been Abby's idea teach the rest of the team American Sign Language so they could communicate with Wendy when she was in her other skin. But Abbs was right, it was useful in all sorts of other situations (and not just for 'talking' to her favourite Weevil.) Abby's ability to read lips at a distance had come in handy on no few occasions in the past… now however, Bobby was glad to be able to quickly 'speak' to Jack at a distance without having to reach for his com or call the other man down from the observation deck.

Jack nodded his agreement to what the medic had signed in his direction.

Sam glanced up at them too, then back at the Dr. Chase, a new look of fear creeping over his features. Even if he didn't understand the meaning behind the gestures, clearly something had just been communicated. Something about him. He licked his lips; they were starting to dry out and crack.

"Stay there," said the medic, getting to his feet. "I mean it," he added in a firm tone.

He swallowed nervously, but promised he wouldn't move. He knew he wouldn't get very far if he did, anyway, although he didn't say that out loud. He didn't have to. They knew they were stronger than him.

Dr. Chase left him; he didn't move.

Up above, the man in the suit left the observation deck, too, so it was just Captain Jack Harkness standing there, staring down at him. Deciding. He tried to read the Captain's expression, but his eyes were impossibly hard.

It seemed like he was waiting forever, but really it was just a few minutes before Dr. Chase returned with…

"It was the best I could find," he passed over the take away carton of Chinese food from yesterday's lunch.

Sam's stomach rumbled loudly as the scent of it hit his nostrils. He took the carton, but just looked at it. It smelled so good…

"Go ahead," Bobby told him when he hesitated. "I can finish up what I need to do after you've eaten something."

"Thank you," he managed to remember to say before grabbing the fork that the medic had stuck into the top of the food. He shovelled it into his face as quickly as he could. He was used to having to eat fast; if he didn't someone might come along and take what he'd found, especially if he'd found something good. And the left over Chinese food was very good! It was warm and…

"Slow down," said Bobby, although he could easily guess at what was making the kid shovel in the food into his mouth so fast. "That's all yours, honest. You can have as much as you like, just don't give yourself indigestion."

Sam flushed. It was a pale purple-pink hue, which confirmed Bobby's suspicion that his blood wasn't strictly iron based. "I… I'm sorry, I…"

"It's all right," the other man assured him in a gentle tone. "I just don't want you getting yourself sick is all."

He nodded and started eating more slowly. He still managed to finish the entire carton of left overs in very short order. "Thank you," he said again when Dr. Chase took the empty container from him.

"You're welcome. I'd like to move you to another room to do a full work up… ok?"

"Ok."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_"Never ignore a gut feeling, but never believe that it's enough."_

~ Robert Heller

* * *

Jack found Tim, Abby and Mickey sitting around Mickey's work station, the alien device in front of them. Abby had her chin propped up on her hands. She looked up with Jack approached.

"It's definitely some sort of communicator," she told him, before he could even ask.

"But," interjected Mickey, "We have no idea what the last message sent was. I mean… it could have been 'E.T. phone home' or 'Mars needs women'," he shrugged. "We have no way of knowing. Sorry, Boss."

"I ran the symbols through the database," said Tim, nodding to the row of buttons, each marked with a different sort of squiggle. "Unless you've seen something like and 'forgotten' to add it to the archives…" Jack had a tendency to that, even with his own team. Tim honestly wasn't sure if he did it on purpose (so he could look good when he suddenly knew something the rest of them didn't) or if it was an oversight, because Ianto was right, there were days Jack would forget his head if it weren't firmly attached to his shoulders.

The Captain gave him a sly little smile that clearly asked 'who, me?' before picking up the alien device for a closer inspection. He turned it over thoughtfully before shrugging. "Nope. It's not like anything I've run across before." But given the sheer number of civilizations spread across time and space, no one could know every one of them, not even the Doctor. "You're sure you can't figure out what the last message sent was?" he asked.

Abby gave him a look. "I was able to download the message, but I can't translate it, Jack. I'll keep working on it, but the language is definitely alien. I mean… _really_ alien, not just alien-alien. It's all gurgles and squeaks and stuff."

"Yeah, kinda like that stuff you call music," Mickey jibed at her.

The Captain cleared his throat loudly. He didn't want to see Mickey thrown into the Bay again… or to have the young Englishman wake up in the middle of the night to find Janet tucked into the other side of his bed. "Keep at it," he told them simply before taking his leave.

He headed to Gwen's station next. She was on the phone; she also had one eye on the security feed from the exam room where Bobby was doing a full body scan on the kid so they could get a better look at his insides, and the other eye on the local news. She wrapped up her call. "I've gotten them to agree to pull the story and even issue a 'correction.' But the damage is done, Jack. Once something gets said…"

"I know, it can't be un-said." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "How did that get on the air so fast, anyway?" he was sure he hadn't seen any television cameras in the crowd… then again, these days cameras could be so small…

"Andy thinks the leak came from inside the police station. It's been a problem for them for a while now," she explained. "Apparently someone in the department has been giving… or selling, they think, maybe… tips to the press. Several police investigations have been compromised, it's not just us."

"Yeah, but it's us I'm worried about." This was exactly the sort of thing he didn't need. "See if you can do anything to lend them a hand plugging that leak. I do _not_ want to hear or see the word Torchwood on the news again."

She gave him an incredulous look. It wasn't typically in Jack's nature to help out the locals, especially not with something as mundane as someone leaking information to the press.

"If it affects us, I want it stopped," he answered her quizzical look.

Gwen nodded and phoned Andy back… she wasn't sure what she could do to help, but it would probably be better if the police found whoever had leaked the information about this morning to the press before Jack did. Ever since he and Ianto had announced their plans to have a baby, Jack had been edgier than usual, taking less to chance. Not with himself so much – he still couldn't die – but with everyone one else, with Torchwood in general, it was like he was more protective than ever. More vigilant.

_More worried that something might go wrong… _

Andy finally picked up.

"Hey, it's me again…"

* * *

"We can't just lock him up with the Weevils, Jack," Gwen protested. "He hasn't _done_ anything!" she looked to Bobby for some sort of backup, but the Australian sat on the edge of Jack's desk, keeping his thoughts to himself. The only conclusions he'd made were scientific ones. The kid was alien. They knew that already. He wasn't any particular threat. They knew that too. What they didn't know… what Jack didn't seem to know… was what to do with him.

Sam was in the showers getting cleaned up; Ianto had scrounged up a clean t-shirt and sweat pants that probably wouldn't fall off him, as well as a clean pair of socks. Mickey and Tim were making sure he stayed out of trouble while Jack figured out what to do next. Abby was still working on the device they'd taken off him. Sara was out dealing with her personal life, although she'd called to check in.

Jack gave Gwen a look that mirrored her own. "I suppose you're going to say he can go home with you?" he asked; his tone was scathing. "You have a husband and a baby at home, remember?"

She fidgeted. She didn't meet his gaze. "He still could…"

"He's an alien, Gwen."

"The Doctor is an alien," she pointed out. "You didn't mind me taking him home."

"The Doctor is one of my best friends. We don't know _anything_ about this kid."

"We know he's a kid and he's scared…"

"He could stay here," Bobby suggested at last, cutting her off; cutting their argument short.

Both Jack and Gwen turned their heads towards him.

"I don't mean in the vaults," he said to her first. "He could sleep on one of the couches. Look," he addressed the Captain, "I'm going to be up all night anyway… I've got at least a dozen more tests to run on his blood."

Jack shot him a look; they both knew that wouldn't take all night.

Bobby continued on anyway, "I'm sure Wendy wouldn't mind coming in. And Abby was planning on staying late tonight. I'm sure between the three of we can babysit one scared sixteen year old kid, even if he _is_ an alien."

As if on cue a clean, damp Sam came into the office, accompanied by Ianto and Tim. His gaze flickered nervously towards Jack… then to Gwen and Bobby. The latter was the only person in the room who didn't seem to make him nervous.

Jack stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. "We were just discussing you."

The boy nodded, glancing at the floor a moment before seeming to force himself to meet Jack's gaze. "May… may I ask what you've decided, Captain, Sir?" the fear in his tone was audible.

Jack met Gwen's angry gaze a moment. He sighed. He turned his attention back to Sam. "You can stay here for the night. It's not exactly the Ritz," he shrugged. _But it's better than sleeping in some gutter somewhere… _how many gutters had Jack slept in himself, he wondered. "There are some ground rules, though," he added in a sharp tone.

"I'll do anything you say," the boy's tone was held the same eagerness to please that had earlier. It was that tone that made Jack weary of him…

He let it slide for the moment, however. "You will stay within sight of one of my team at all times," he told the boy in a sharp tone that he hoped brooked no room for argument. "No wandering off. No touching anything." He turned his gaze towards Bobby. "Someone will stay with him at all times, even when he's sleeping. Am I making myself clear?"

"Perfectly."

Jack dismissed the room with a nod; a moment later, he realized that Sam still lingering just outside his door. "Something else I can do for you?" he asked, motioning the boy back into his office.

"I… I just wanted to say think you, Captain Harkness, Sir."

"Just 'Jack'," his smile surprised the young man. So did the gentleness of his touch when he laid a hand on his shoulder. "Earn our trust… my trust… and I promise, I won't let anybody hurt you."

Sam's breath caught in his throat. "How…?"

"I've been around the galactic block a few times. I know the sorts of things that go on out there," he nodded towards the ceiling… the sky beyond. "The kinds of things that go on right here on Earth, too."

Sam's gaze shifted to a spot on the wall… the floor…

Jack sat down on the edge of his desk so he wasn't towering over the kid. "What is it?" he made a point of keeping his tone mild.

"I… I should probably tell you… I… when I things had gotten a little uncomfortable where I was before… it was London," he said to the unspoken question in the older man's eyes. "I… when I first saw you… Torchwood… I thought you were the police. I was afraid," he licked his lips. "I knew it wouldn't take much for them to figure out I wasn't human. I didn't know what they'd do to me." He still wasn't sure what Torchwood was going to do with him, but so far they'd been kind. Even Jack Harkness with his hard blue eyes seemed to mean it when he said he wouldn't let anybody hurt him.

"What happened in London?"

"I have to earn money however I can. The kinds of people willing to pay somebody like me… I didn't mean to break the law, I just didn't know what else to do."

Jack nodded his understanding. "What exactly were you doing?"

"Just… just delivering packages, I swear. I don't know what they were. I didn't ask," he hadn't had to ask. Drugs. Guns. "I never meant to get involved with anything where anybody could get hurt, but I… I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded silently with the other man to understand. "I'm fast. I'm good at not being seen. Mostly. Except for you, nobody's ever really noticed me before." He only hoped he wasn't making a mistake by telling the Captain about London… it wasn't the worst truth he could tell somebody about himself, but it might be enough to make him withdraw his offer of help.

Jack's tone was as gentle as the hand he'd laid on his shoulder a moment ago. "You were doing what you had to. Believe me, I've been there. Sometimes… sometimes the best you can do is survive and hope tomorrow is better than yesterday."

Sam looked up at him. He had no reason to believe the Captain, yet his every instinct told him it was safe to trust Jack Harkness. "The people I was working for might come looking for me, Captain. Jack. I left in an awful big hurry."

"Don't worry about it."

"I don't want to cause more trouble for you than I already have…"

"Sam, does this really look like the kinda place a bunch of street thugs are going to find?"

He swallowed and looked around. "I… I guess not."

"All right then. Why don't you go get some rest? You've had a long day."

He gave the older man another look… there was nothing about him that didn't seem genuine. "I… I could be helpful to you… around here," he stammered. "I mean… I'm fast. I don't usually get caught…" he said hopefully. "I could work for you. I could do whatever you wanted me to. Clean up, run errands, anything… this place is awful big…"

Jack smiled. "We'll talk about that later. Right now I've got a mountain of paperwork. Go on," he nodded towards the office door. "Get some rest."

Swallowing back a last tremor of uncertainty, Sam took his leave. His future was still tenuous, but here was better than anywhere he'd ever been before…

* * *

Jack looked up as his partner came into his office some while later, carrying two cups of the most heavenly smelling coffee he'd ever made… or maybe, Jack realized, he was just that desperate for a cup of Ianto's coffee. _Or maybe it's __**him**__,_ he flashed a bright in the younger man's direction. "You always seem to know just what I need."

"Would that be in reference to the coffee or me?"

"Both?"

The young Welshman chuckled; he didn't bother setting Jack's cup down on his desk, he handed it over directly, setting himself on the edge of the other man's desk himself instead. "You like him, don't you," it wasn't a question.

"Yeah. I like him. I just don't want to let my feelings cloud my judgment." They saw so much death, so much unhappiness… just once he'd like to meet an alien who wasn't out to destroy or take over the world. He knew the existed, it just seemed as if friendly aliens hardly ever found their way to Cardiff.

"Still. He's hardly a Dalek," Ianto observed in a dry tone.

Jack leant back in his chair and smiled up at his partner. He was helpless against the feeling of warmth that overwhelmed him lately, every time they were in the same room together. He wasn't sure he would have it any other way, either. "He's hardly a Dalek," he agreed. "But I'm still not ready to just let him go." There was too much at stake… only they couldn't keep babysitting him here either, despite Sam's rather desperate plea to let him work for them.

Jack's smile deepened as he remembered another young man's desperate desire to become his butler…

"There is another solution," the younger man suggested over the top of his mug.

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Flat Holm Island," he said. "It's not exactly a secure facility, but if you're worried about him running loose in the city and getting into trouble…" he shrugged, leaving it open ended.

Jack had shared Sam's confession with him. Flat Holm Island was as close to secure as they could come without locking the kid up downstairs. And he didn't seem to deserve that. Minor criminal activities aside, Gwen was right, he hadn't done anything wrong, at least not that knew of. "It would give you a chance to evaluate him a little more… give him a chance to prove himself," added Ianto.

He mulled it over, finally agreeing that it was probably the best solution they were likely to come up with. "I'll make the arrangements in the morning." He drained the last of his coffee.

Ianto set down his own empty mug. "So… are we going to postpone…?" he began him in a hesitant tone.

Jack shook his head; wordlessly, he gathered his partner into his lap. He wrapped his arms around him, loving the way Ianto fit so perfectly against his body. Loving his warmth… the soft sound of his breath. He closed his eyes… closed out the rest of the world. "We're not postponing anything, Sweetheart," he promised. "The rest of the team can handle this and anything else that comes up."

"I love you."

Jack felt his smile deepening. "I love you too." _I love you so much…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough._

Frank Crane

* * *

Gwen was no more happy about sending Sam to Flat Holm Island as she'd been about locking him up in the basement. She regarded Jack a long, angry moment, before speaking.

"That place is…" she shuddered at the memory. She hadn't been back to Flat Holm Island. Not since… not since she took Jonah Bevan's mother there to see him. Not since Mrs. Bevan had told her she never wanted to see her son again… that the man he'd become wasn't her son, that she'd been better off not knowing, because at least then she had had hope.

"It's not a place for a teenaged boy, Jack," the Welshwoman insisted. "Even if he is an alien."

The people… the patients… Jack kept there were damaged beyond repair. Taken by the rift. Returned forever altered. But even knowing that… even after seeing it for herself…she had been convinced she was doing the right thing by bringing Jonah's mother to him.

She'd wanted it to be the right thing. She'd wanted to help Mrs. Bevan. Sometimes with Torchwood it was impossible to know what the right thing was.

But sending a scared kid to a place like that couldn't possibly be the right thing.

Jack was watching her over his coffee cup. "I know it's not ideal," he agreed. "But it's the best I can do."

She sighed. Gave in, albeit begrudgingly. There wasn't much choice in the matter anyway; he'd made up his mind. "How long are you going to keep him there, then?"

"I don't know. Until I'm sure I can trust him, I suppose."

"He's not a Dalek, Jack."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "I know. Ianto said the same thing," he added to her perplexed… perturbed… look. "But I want him to stay there while we're gone. That's an order," he informed her tone he desperately hoped she would pay attention to.

She nodded; it wasn't much of a guarantee. Gwen was better at giving orders than taking them most days, which was why he was leaving she and Bobby collectively in charge while he and Ianto were away. He almost smiled a second time, thinking what an unmitigated disaster it would have been if he'd ever left Gwen and Owen collectively in charge… _God, I still miss you sometimes, Harper,_ he thought... _All l the time_ ...

He loved Bobby just as much as he'd loved Owen. Any member of his team. And he knew he would miss Bobby too, someday, just like he missed Tosh and Owen. He would out live them all. Bobby, Wendy... Tim, Abby... Sara... Mickey... Gwen... _Ianto..._

Jack drained the last of the coffee from his cup. "The Island isn't as bad a place as you're making it out to be, Gwen" he told her in an earnest tone he doubted she was going to believe. "It's not like he's going to be a prisoner there. He'll be able to come and go as he pleases, just as long as he stays on the island."

"What exactly about that doesn't fit the definition of a prison, Jack? You can't keep him locked up forever. He's just a kid."

He sighed. Some days there was no winning. "Just keep him there while we're gone. I'll sort it out when I get back, I promise."

……………………………………………………………………

Things had changed since Gwen first discovered the existence of the facility on Flat Holm Island. Not the island itself or the people or the facility; it was Jack's attitude about it that was different. His attitudes about a lot of things were had changed.

After the loss of Tosh and Owen… the Captain's guilt over how much of what had happened that day was his fault because maybe if he'd let his team in in, if they knew… maybe things would have turned out differently that day.

And maybe they wouldn't have.

Jack would never know for sure, he knew that; just the same, he had promised himself to be more open with his team. More honest. More trusting.

As a result, he had more help managing the facility on the Island. Bobby went out once a month to check on the patients. Sometimes Sara went with him; she didn't like the place any better than Gwen or Abby, but she was better able to deal with her discomfort. Abby and Gwen could both deal with it in the moment, but neither would be in very good moods for the rest of the day… Jack only sent them when he had to.

The Captain visited the place himself more frequently, especially in the first few months after the Dalek attack. A lot of the residents… patients… had been severely traumatized by what had happened that day even though none of them had seen a Dalek. They were sensitive to rift energy and having the entire planet hijacked out of the sky and suspended in the middle of a rift the size of the Medusa Cascade had been painful… in one case fatally so.

Jack had done what he could, but there was little to do to comfort the rest of them… time was healing all but the worst of the wounds.

Although he always told his partner he didn't have to accompany him, Ianto always went with him when he went to the Island, anyway. He had done so since Jack first returned from the year that never was. At first he'd thought the young Welshman was just afraid he was going to take off and leave them again, but eventually he realized that in his absence Ianto had done exactly what he'd hoped he would. He had accepted the responsibility of taking care of the facility… the people… patients… he wasn't going to let that go just because Jack had decided to saunter back into their lives.

What he didn't realize was that Ianto knew the place affected him just as badly as it did Gwen… Abby, Sara… he just didn't let on. He didn't have to. Even back when they were putting their relationship back together, Ianto had known how much Jack hated feeling helpless to do more… to do anything. They couldn't even predict where the rift would open up. They couldn't protect anyone against it. He wouldn't let the older man face Flat Holm Island everything it represented alone.

Jack slid his arm around his Welshman's waist and pulled him in close. Behind them in the boat, Bobby was sitting with an apprehensive seeming Sam. They were almost to the island.

"It's not as bad as it looks," said the medic.

Sam licked his lips nervously and nodded. When Jack and his partner had come back that morning to get him, they'd brought him a change of clothes. Several changes of clothes. Enough for a week at least. But he suspected he would be staying there longer than that; the man in the suit, who wasn't wearing a suit today, said that there was a place where he could wash his clothes on the island. (He'd introduced himself and he seemed quite nice, really… they all did… but Sam still thought of him as the man in the suit. His mind was used to casting people impersonally.)

"You'll be with people who understand… people who won't judge you," Dr. Chase was saying. "Some of them can be a little frightening at first, but they're all good people. And I'll come by in a couple of days to check on you, I promise."

"Thank you," he said the only thing he could think of. He'd rather stay with these people, with Torchwood. With Dr. Chase.

But he had promised Jack Harkness that he would do whatever he told him to. Even if he hadn't given his word, the impulse to obey someone like Jack Harkness was too strong… he couldn't have disobeyed him if he'd wanted to. Genetics… conditioning… he would always yield to a man like the Captain, someone so clearly in command.

He looked up again, startled, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He knew it was Jack Harkness immediately. He smelled different… everything about him was different, it wasn't just that he was in control here.

Sam licked his lips again and forced himself to meet the Captain's gaze; he couldn't even begin to read the other man's expression. "I'll stay wherever you tell me to, Jack," he used the man's first name because that's what he'd been told to do. "I won't be any trouble here. You have my word, I promise."

The man's smile was as gentle as his touch, as strange as anything Sam had ever seen. "It's just temporary. A couple of weeks… maybe a month."

He nodded, wondering what they would do with him then, especially if he hadn't managed to somehow earn their trust… earn Jack's trust. "I'll do whatever you say," he repeated.


	6. Chapter 6

****

A/N: Ok, so I've got a wee bit of writers' block going… sort of. I've got a bunch of stuff written for Bonny Welshman, but it's in bits and pieces, not a set of full chapters… I'm hoping that by doing a bit of writing on something else, I'll get myself back into gear. Thank you so much for being patient with me; I know I've been horrible about updating.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Make your judgement trustworthy by trusting it. You can develop good judgement as you do the muscles of your body - by judicious, daily exercise.

Gantland Rice

* * *

Sam sat in the narrow cot, his knees pulled up tight against his chest, trying very hard to be brave. Trying not to be afraid. He wasn't very good at either endeavour.

It was dark outside. It was dark in his room, too. He could see a sliver of the sky through the one little window at the very top of the wall, but he couldn't see the moon... he couldn't really even see any stars, just a patch of black in the dank brick wall. The window had bars on it.

In another part of the largely underground complex a man was screaming. It was an anguished sound… a terrible sound. He did it every day for hours on end. The nurses told him the man had seen something horrible and the vision still haunted him. Sam shuddered. If the sound of the man's voice was any indication, it must have been worse than horrible.

He thought about all the worse than horrible things he'd seen. He closed his eyes as if that would some how make the memories go away. It didn't help at all.

He knew he could slip out of the room without anyone seeing him. The nurses didn't seem to pay him much mind and the internal security seemed very lax. Even with doors that locked and bars on the windows, he could get out, he could get away…

But he had promised. Besides, he didn't know how he'd get back across the water. Even if he did, Jack Harkness would probably find him anyway. And he didn't really want to disobey, he just didn't want to be _here_.

It had been almost five days. Jack hadn't come back for him. Bobby Chase hadn't come back, either. He wondered if they'd forgotten all about him. The facility seemed like the sort of place send someone they wanted to forget about.

But Bobby Chase had promised…

The screaming finally stopped.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

………………………………………………………………………

"Gwen, Jack's instructions were clear. The kid stays put until they get back," Bobby wondered if he was wasting his breath arguing with her. She had that look on her face that told the Australian he would be more likely to win an argument with Myfanwy. Or Janet.

"Jack also told me to help the police find the leak," Gwen retorted. Her idea was simple. Someone in the police department was leaking information about ongoing investigations to the media, probably getting paid for the information. Internal Affairs was investigating but not having any luck at all.

Sam claimed to be good at getting around unnoticed… so long as he didn't try to communicate with his species again, which he couldn't do anyway, seeing as Jack had taken the communications device off him and locked it up tight. "All I want him to do is poke around a little, maybe feed a few false leads to the police and see what happens. Andy said he'd work with us on it, since we know _he_ isn't the source of the leak." At the moment, her former police partner was the only person she was sure she could trust.

"Is there some logical reason one of _us_ can't poke around?" the medic wanted to know.

Gwen gave him an exasperated sigh, clearly feeling as if the answer to that was obvious. "I don't know of a single officer who doesn't know who we all are on sight, Bobby. When was the last time you actually had to identify yourself as Torchwood?"

Reluctantly, he nodded. She had a point. He didn't like it. "Jack wants him to stay where he is," he fell back to his original argument.

"Jack left us in charge."

"Gwen…"

"Are you honestly happy about leaving him in that place?"

"It's not as bad as you're making it out to be," he told her, even though he didn't believe it himself. "Look," he said before she could argue her point further, "I'm going out there today to check in on him. We'll discuss it when I get back, all right?"

"All right."

……………………………………………………………………

Sam looked up in surprise when he heard the knock on his door; it wasn't that the nurses didn't knock, it was that they didn't usually come to his room except to call him for meals. It wasn't mealtime.

He didn't mind that they didn't have time for him. He saw the other patients… at least the ones who were social enough to eat together in the little dining hall…the ones who weren't too scary. The small staff had its hands full taking care of the people who really needed their attention, they didn't have time for him.

Swallowing back a lump of nervousness in his throat and licking his lips, he got up off his bed and crossed the short distance to the door. At least they never locked it. He wasn't a prisoner, not really. He had promised Jack Harkness he wouldn't leave. He had promised himself he would trust him, that he would earn his trust. It wasn't Jack at the door.

"D-Dr. Chase," he stammered in surprise, stepping aside so the medic could come in if he wanted to.

"Sorry I haven't had a chance to come by sooner," Bobby smiled a warm smile at the boy. The nurses had said he was looking peaked, but it seemed as if that was something of an understatement. "I brought you a few things," he set down the paper sacks.

"You… you didn't have to do that…"

Bobby shrugged. "It isn't much. We thought you might like some music," he pulled out the small CD player. "Since nobody was sure what you liked, everybody contributed something," he said of the little collection of CD's he had amassed. Most of them were mixes, bits of this and that, that each member of the team had put together for him. "I'd watch out for Abby's if I were you," he added with a grin.

Sam managed a genuine smile; he'd heard Abby's music the one night he'd stayed at the Hub. It was awful, but he'd give anything to be back there again.

"Abby sent along some cookies, too. I can't vouch for her cooking being any better than her taste in music, though."

"Please tell her I said thank you."

"I will," he laid a hand on the boy's arm; just then his tone there had sounded so terribly despondent. Maybe Gwen was right… but Jack had said… but Jack wasn't here… and along his personal timeline, the Captain would have a full year to reconsider his position… _God is that weird._

He regarded the scared, haggard looking sixteen year old in front of him a long moment. Everything in his gut told him they could trust him… and how was he going to earn their trust anyway, sitting around here?

"How would you like to get away from this place for a little while?" Bobby asked him, hoping he wasn't going to regret the decision later...


End file.
